Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Belgium
Belgium: Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) was 84.4% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Belgium, 1990–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Belgium recorded 84.4% for ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in 2025. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 3.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Belgium peaked at 84.4% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 59.9%, in 1990.
That places Belgium 60th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Belgium, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 59.9% | — |
| 1991 | 61.9% | +3.4% |
| 1992 | 63.5% | +2.6% |
| 1993 | 65.3% | +2.7% |
| 1994 | 65.5% | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 66.1% | +0.9% |
| 1996 | 66.5% | +0.6% |
| 1997 | 67.6% | +1.6% |
| 1998 | 68.6% | +1.5% |
| 1999 | 70.5% | +2.8% |
| 2000 | 71.0% | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 69.2% | -2.5% |
| 2002 | 70.6% | +2.0% |
| 2003 | 71.3% | +1.0% |
| 2004 | 73.4% | +3.0% |
| 2005 | 74.4% | +1.4% |
| 2006 | 75.3% | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 76.2% | +1.2% |
| 2008 | 77.1% | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 77.7% | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 78.4% | +0.9% |
| 2011 | 78.7% | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 78.8% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 80.0% | +1.5% |
| 2014 | 81.1% | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 81.5% | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 81.3% | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 81.4% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 83.0% | +1.9% |
| 2019 | 83.3% | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 83.5% | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 83.8% | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 84.3% | +0.7% |
| 2023 | 84.2% | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 84.3% | +0.1% |
| 2025 | 84.4% | +0.2% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 84.4% is above the median for high income countries, which is 83.3%, 1.0× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 84.4% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 83.3%, 1.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 65.5% | 59.9% | 70.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 73.6% | 69.2% | 77.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 80.8% | 78.4% | 83.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 84.1% | 83.5% | 84.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
More work & labour data for Belgium
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.1652 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.1676 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.1614 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.59 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.1395 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 12,349 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 139 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 5,498 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 5,563 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 11,061 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Belgium?
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Belgium was 84.4% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 84.4% in 2025.
- What is the lowest ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 59.9% in 1990.
- How does Belgium rank for ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%)?
- Belgium ranks 60th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Labor force participation rate is the proportion of the population ages 15 and older that is economically active: all people who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period.